The San Antonio Spurs opened the Western Conference finals with a 122-115 double-overtime win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night, and rookie guard Dylan Harper played one of the biggest games of his young career.
Harper finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a team playoff-record seven steals in 47 minutes as the Spurs took home-court advantage from the top-seeded Thunder at Paycom Center.
The rookie made his fifth start of the season after De’Aaron Fox was ruled out with ankle stiffness shortly before tipoff.
“60 minutes on the clock, I think,” Harper said when asked when he learned he would start. “Yeah, like right before the meeting, 60 minutes.”
Despite the late lineup change, Harper said his approach never changed.
“Treat it like every other game, going with the mindset of just being me and not kind of just taking a moment,” Harper said. “That was the biggest thing, and kind of just being in attack mode the whole time.”
The Spurs leaned heavily on their defense during both overtime periods. Harper pointed to that end of the floor as the foundation of the victory.
“It was great. I think that’s kind of our calling card,” Harper said about the team’s defensive connectedness. “When it gets to the end of the game and things of that nature, that’s something we’re going to rely on every time is just being connected on defense and making sure that we’re all just playing team defense.”
San Antonio forced 21 turnovers and held MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to 7-for-23 shooting. Harper said his seven steals came from the collective effort around him.
“I think my seven steals was kind of a team thing,” Harper said. “It was more just rotations and just for me being in the right spots and just letting my instincts take over.”
The Spurs erased questions about their youth and playoff inexperience by winning a game that became the sixth double-overtime Game 1 in NBA playoff history. Harper said the locker room never lost confidence, even after Oklahoma City rallied late in regulation.
“I think, from our standpoint, the message was really that we’re going to double down no matter what,” Harper said. “We’re just going to keep on fighting.”
Harper also spoke about what it means to contribute on this stage during his rookie season.
“It means the world,” Harper said. “I feel like not a lot of people get this experience just to be a part of such a great organization and a great group of guys.”
The rookie credited playing behind Fox and Stephon Castle earlier in the season for helping prepare him for moments like Monday night.
“Just being around two great point guards, Steph and Fox, and kind of just picking their brain,” Harper said. “Earlier in the season when everyone kind of didn’t see the vision, like I kind of saw it and doubled down on it.”
Much of the night still revolved around Victor Wembanyama, who delivered 41 points and 24 rebounds in one of the defining playoff performances of his career. Harper admitted he expected Wembanyama’s deep game-tying three in overtime to fall the moment it left his hand.
“Confidence through the roof,” Harper said. “I was stunned a little bit. But once the ball went up, I’m like, oh, that’s going in. It’s kind of just who he is. He’s one of a kind.”
Harper also pointed to Wembanyama’s preparation behind the scenes.
“It’s the little things he does every day, whether it’s eating or lifting or just getting shots up that no one don’t really see,” Harper said. “He’s kind of just one of them ones.”
Game 2 of the Western Conference finals is scheduled for Wednesday night in Oklahoma City.
